After Senate, US House passes Russia sanctions bill; 100 per cent tariff threat looms for India

Named in honour of the late Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the legislation was formulated through more than a year of negotiations.

Securing Trump's backing proved critical after the package integrated the president's demand for a five-year extension of existing sanctions on Iran.

The measure represents the most substantial American legislative effort supporting Ukraine since Trump re-entered the White House, following a period of parliamentary gridlock that persisted for nearly two years after a 2024 emergency aid package.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy actively advocated for the measure, appealing directly to lawmakers prior to the vote and remarking in a social media post: During the war, it is sometimes better to make a not-so-perfect decision than to do nothing.

The legislation broadens penalties against Russian officials, financial institutions, and banking authorities, while targeting vessels comprising a shadow fleet utilised to maintain the flow of Russian energy shipments in defiance of existing Western limitations.

Furthermore, the measure instructs the president to enforce tariffs reaching up to 100 per cent on the five primary importers of Russian petroleum or natural gas, incorporating an exemption for nations importing under 15 per cent of Russian natural gas exports that have implemented substantial measures to curtail those purchases.

For India, the legislation establishes a novel statutory pathway enabling Washington to levy tariffs of up to 100 per cent on Indian imports in response to New Delhi's persistent acquisitions of Russian energy.

Because India and China rank among the foremost purchasers of Russian crude, supporters have explicitly identified both nations as principal targets of the tariff clauses, which utilise access to the American market as leverage against states sustaining Russian energy revenues and financing Moscow's military campaign.

However, the bill does not independently enforce a 100 per cent tariff on Indian goods.

Instead, it grants the executive branch discretionary authority to levy such tariffs under defined statutory conditions should the measure be enacted and subsequently invoked by Trump.

The Senate previously endorsed the legislation via an overwhelming 86-11 majority on August 7, though subsequent momentum decelerated within the House amid disputes concerning its tariff clauses.

With the House passage complete, the legislation now proceeds to Trump for his signature, whereupon the administration will possess supplementary sanctions and tariff authorities to exert pressure upon Russia and nations persisting in Russian energy commerce. (ANI)